Automatic flushing system



w 9 1967 N. BALIKJIAN AUTOMATIC FLUSHING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 23, 1964 INVENTOR NISHAN BAUKJIAN AT TORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,314,084 AUTOMATIC FLUSI-IING SYSTEM Nishan Balikjian, 5800 Arlington Ave.,

New York, N.Y. 10471 Filed Sept. 23, 1964, Ser. N0. 398,512 Claims. (Cl. 4--249) This invention relates to a flushing system for Sanitary facilities and is particularly directed to an automatic flushing system for flushing stand-up urinals and etc., without the need of using hands, which would otherwise become soiled and/ or contaminated and can thus be free of germs and bacteria.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide a system for flushing toilet facilities that permits freedom of the user s hands Without the contamination thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system for actu'ating a flushing valve mechanism which is simple, rugged, efficient and economical to operate.

A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a remote control system for valve actuation of toilet flushing facilities.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a reading of the specification and a reading of the accompanying drawings and wherein;

FIGURE 1 shows in perspective a typical urin'al facility and the valve actuating mechanism for flushing the said facility.

FIGURE 2 shows a partially fragmented view of the facility and `the valve actu'ating mechanism according to the invention. i

FIGURES 3-6 show various steps in actuating the flushing valve mechanism.

Now proceeding with a description of the invention and particularly with respect to FIGURES 1 and 2 there is shown therein a toilet facility 1 having a flushing water source pipe 2 connected thereto with a valve handle 3 for actuating a valve 4 connected to and forming an integral part of said pipe 2. Operatively eng'aging the valve handle 3, including a clamp attachment 4a and free swinging ring 5 connected thereto, is a valve actuating mechanism, designated generally as reference number 6, which forms the basis of the invention embodied herein.

The valve actuating mechanism 6 comprises in particular an elongated metal cylindrical piston enclosure 7 having terminal closure :covers 8 and 9 and attached to the pipe 2 by a clamp 10 surrounding circumferentially both the piston and pipe. Internal the cylindrical piston enclosure there is disposed a piston member i1 having an elongated piston rod 12 extending from the upper surface 13 of the piston and extending upwards toward one of the terminal closure covers 8. The upper part of the rod 12 has pivotally attached thereto a free-swinging trian gularly shaped metal pin 14 held temporarily in a singular non-operative position by single coil spring 15 attached to the said rod 'and pin at the pivot portion 16. Along the inner cylinder wall, at the upper periphery thereof, there is firmly attached a substantially rcctangular metal stop 17 having a linear vertical side 18 against which the triangular pin abuts, preventing the pin from freely rotating during the interval when both are in engageable contact. Internal the cylinder there is further disposed a coil-like compressive spring member 18:2 surrounding the rod 12 and positioned between the piston upper surfaces 13 and enclosure cover 8 inner surface.

The closure cover 9 at the lower cylinder extremity has a centrally disposed orifice 20 to which is connected a pipe 2'1, suitably supported, the other extremity of the pipe being connected to a distensible type reservoir 22 having enclosed therein a fluid 23 capable of being forced tion between them is possible.

3,3 14,084 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 therefrom upon compressive action applied to the distensible member in the direction shown by arrow 24.

There is shown in FIGURES 3-6 the various steps undertaken by the actuating mechanism causing the flushing valve to function as herein described. In particular the operation is as follows: In the non-operative stage, the compressive spring member 18:1, by virtue of its compressive action, keeps the piston members 11 and 12 at the lower portion of the cylinder thereby urging the fluid therefrom through orifice 20` and into the distensible reservoir 22. The free-swinging pin 14 is held in a single upright position by spring 15 to permit one side '25 thereof to remain in a vertical .position while undergoing its upward movement so as to clear the metal stop 17 and particularly the vertical side 18 thereof. Upon compression of the distensible reservoir 22, the fluid therein will be forced therefrom up through pipe 20c1, and through orifice 20 into the cylinder 7. The fluid entering the cylinder at the lower portion thereof will urge the piston 11 upwards against the compressive action of spring 18a. The upward piston movement permits the rod 12 and pin 14 attached thereto to likewise move upwards until the sloping side 26 of the triangularly shaped pin 14 contacts freeswinging ring 5 attached to clamp 4a, as shown in FIGURE 4. The free-swinging ring 5 is swung outward in an arc, as the pin is continuing its upward movement until the aperture portion of the ring clears the pin and thereby becomes engaged therewith in a latch-on fashion, 'as shown in FIGURE 5. It can be seen that the pin and stop vertical sides 18 and 25 are cleared and relative mo- Further, the free-swinging pin 14 once engaged with the free-swinging ring 5 is prevented from becoming dis-engaged because the pin is prevented from pivotally rotating by the abutting side 18 of stop 17. This condition prevails during the total time both these sides are abutting or contiguous to each other.

Upon release of the downward compressive action on the distensible reservoir, the action of the coil spring forces down the piston 11 against the fluid] action, forcing it out of the cylinder, through the orifice and back into the reservoir. The downward piston action causes the valve handle 3 and valve 4 to operate because of the engaging pin and ring as shown in FIGURE 5. The pin 14 and ring 5 are constantly in engageable: contact during the compressive action of the spring, thereby actuating the valve mechanism until the pin 14 and the side 25 thereof clears the side 18 of stop 17 as shown in FIG- URE 6. When both these respective sides are no longer in contact with each other, the free-swinging triangular pin 5 will swing in a clockwise direction about its pivot point 16 'and free itself from ring 5, the rod and pin thereafter resuming its normal and initial position, as shown in FIGURE 3, to await a new cycle of operation. It can be appreciated that the timing of each cycle can be controlled in accordance with the viscosity of the fluid used, the size of the orifice 20 through which the fluid flows, the degree of tension in the coil spring and the amount of force applied to the distensible reservoir. All of these factors either taken singly or in combination can be used to control the cycling time.

From the foregoing it can be appreciated that the valve actuating mechanism, which is foobactuated, can be actuated by other means such as by the mere swinging action of the toilet seat, when the user is through, or any other suitable actuating mechanism. Further, the actuating mechanism can be used to trigger any other device which has a cyclic function as the toilet facility defined herein.

While what has been illustrated and described are certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that these are by way of illustration only and are not to be considered as limiting.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A valve actuating mechanism comprising:

(a) a lever actuating valve having clamping means with a latch means, and attached to said lever,

(b) cylindrical enclosure` having terminal closure covers at both extremities,

(c) piston means internal said enclosure having an elongated piston rod connected thereto at one extremity and extending towards one of said closure covers (d) latching' means carried by the piston rod at the other extremity, 'and coacting with the latching means on the clamping means (e) compressive means internal said enclosure between the said closure and piston, and

(f) fluid distensible means including a reservoir of fluid connected to enclosure, the said fluid flowing from said reservoir in response to compressive action upon the distensible means to urge the movement of the piston in a direction to cause the latching means to engage the said clamping means and thereby permit the compressive spring, upon release of the pressure from the distensible means, to actuate the valve.

2. A cyclically valve actuating mechanism for actuating a lever connected toilet facility flushing valve comprising: v

(a) clamping means having latching means secured thereto, and connected to the valve lever,

(b) an enclosure having terminal closure covers at both extremities,

(c) piston means internal said enclosure having an elongated piston rod connected thereto at one extremity and extending towards one of said closure covers,

(d) latching means carried by the piston rod at the other extremity, and coacting with the latching means on the said clamping means (e) compressive means internal said enclosure between the said closure and piston, and

(f) fluid distensible means including a reservoir of fluid connected to the enclosure, the said fluid flowing from said reservoir in response to compressive action upon the distensible means to urge the movement of the piston in a direction to cause the latching means to engage the said clamping means 'and thereby permit the compressive spring, upon release of the pressure from the distensible means, to actuate the valve, thereby flushing the toilet facility.

3. A cyclically valve actuating mechanism according to claim 2 and wherein said compressive means includes a coil spring surrounding the piston rod.

4. A cyclically valve actuating mechanism according to claim 2 and wherein said latching means on said valve lever clamping means includes a free-swinging ringlet disposed to undergo an outward movement in response to the latching means carried by the actuated moving piston rod.

S. A cyclically valve actuating mechanism according to claim 2 and wherein the fluid distensible means includes a distensible fluid dispensable chamber pipe connected to said enclosure for the transmission of fluid therein from the said chamber.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,849,728 9/1958 Gyllenberg 4-251 2,999,191 9/1961 Muradian et al. 4-249 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. J. GROSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM COMPRISING: (A) A LEVER ACTUATING VALVE HAVING CLAMPING MEANS WITH A LATCH MEANS, AND ATTACHED TO SAID LEVER, (B) CYLINDRICAL ENCLOSURE HAVING TERMINAL CLOSURE COVERS AT BOTH EXTREMITIES, (C) PISTON MEANS INTERNAL SAID ENCLOSURE HAVING AN ELONGATED PISTON ROD CONNECTED THERETO AT ONE EXTREMITY AND EXTENDING TOWARDS ONE OF SAID CLOSURE COVERS, (D) LATCHING MEANS CARRIED BY THE PISTON ROD AT THE OTHER EXTREMITY, AND COACTING WITH THE LATCHING MEANS ON THE CLAMPING MEANS (E) COMPRESSIVE MEANS INTERNAL SAID ENCLOSURE BETWEEN THE SAID CLOSURE AND PISTON, AND (F) FLUID DISTENSIBLE MEANS INCLUDING A RESERVOIR OF FLUID CONNECTED TO ENCLOSURE, THE SAID FLUID FLOWING FROM SAID RESERVOIR IN RESPONSE TO COMPRESSIVE ACTION UPON THE DISTENSIBLE MEANS TO URGE THE MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE THE LATCHING MEANS TO ENGAGE THE SAID CLAMPING MEANS AND THEREBY PERMIT THE COMPRESSIVE SPRING, UPON RELEASE OF THE PRESSURE FROM THE DISTENSIBLE MEANS, TO ACTUATE THE VALVE. 